On February 20th, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman upheld the five-game suspension of Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Morgan Rielly after Rielly appealed the decision. The suspension stemmed from a cross-check to the head of Ottawa Senators forward Ridly Greig on February 10th.
Rielly’s actions came in response to Greig scoring an empty-net goal with a slap shot, leading Rielly to cross-check Greig into the boards in the final moments of Ottawa’s 5-3 victory. As a result, Rielly received a major penalty and a game misconduct.
NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman has upheld a 5-game suspension to Morgan Rielly for cross-checking.
Rielly has served 4 of the 5 games, but had appealed the suspension February 16 pic.twitter.com/1effzNInp9
— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) February 20, 2024
Bettman, who reviewed Rielly’s appeal on February 13th, decided to maintain the suspension. In his decision, Bettman considered factors such as Greig’s lack of serious injury and Rielly’s clean record over his 11 seasons in the NHL.
However, Bettman emphasized that Rielly’s conduct was not a typical part of the game, describing it as seeking retribution rather than a “hockey play.” Despite Rielly’s clean history, Bettman hoped that such behavior would not be repeated in the future.
Rielly has not played since the incident, missing the last four games, all of which were victories for Toronto. He will also sit out the upcoming game against Arizona but will be eligible to return for Thursday’s game against Vegas.
Throughout this season, Rielly has accumulated 43 points in 50 games, showcasing his contributions to the Maple Leafs since he was drafted by the team in 2012.
